UW Seattle or Wisconsin Madison for undergrad pre-med?

[toothy97]

Hey everyone,

I'm really torn between the two schools. I really love both schools, but I'm not sure which one is better for pre-med. Wisconsin Madison is a fun college town (although definitely not as exciting as Seattle), and while competitive, apparently they have lots of support and a more laid back atmosphere. Students are accepting and supportive of one another.

Seattle, on the other hand, has just as great of a rank as Wisconsin Madison with tons of research opportunities to boot (and much better weather haha.) However, I have heard that many professors are questionable in terms of teaching, and that the environment is "pre-med gunner land" and overly competitive to the point it can't be enjoyable.

However, these are just people's opinions I have read online- I'm not sure if these are true and I wanted all of your opinions on these schools, as well as which one you would think better suit a pre-med student.

Thank you so much.

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[elprezidente]

Priorities when picking undergrad institution (in no particular order):

1) Price: you're going to be taking on a huge amount of debt should you decide to pursue medicine. If you can spend less during undergrad, do it.
2) Where will you find the most success? All else being equal, which it sounds like these two schools are in terms of reputation, rank, etc. it really depends on where you think you'll do better. At the end of the day, a 3.8+ from either school will be fantastic, and <3.5 will hurt your chances. For me, a less competitive atmosphere sounds more appealing than "gunner land" (I know very little about UW Seattle, just using your words), but maybe you're the type that's motivated by the people around you. Also, for me, better weather can actually be a downside in some ways - I'd be more inclined to stay in and study and less inclined to go out and day drink when it's -5 degrees outside; you may be different. It's really about your preferences.
3) Proximity to family: Some people like having family close by in medical school, but it can be nice during undergrad as well. Pre-med can be draining at times, and being able to disconnect and feel at home on a day off can be nice.

Feel free to add in any factors that might matter to you. At the end of the day, your fit with your school will determine your success in many ways.

 

[Amba]

Hey everyone,

I'm really torn between the two schools. I really love both schools, but I'm not sure which one is better for pre-med. Wisconsin Madison is a fun college town (although definitely not as exciting as Seattle), and while competitive, apparently they have lots of support and a more laid back atmosphere. Students are accepting and supportive of one another.

Seattle, on the other hand, has just as great of a rank as Wisconsin Madison with tons of research opportunities to boot (and much better weather haha.) However, I have heard that many professors are questionable in terms of teaching, and that the environment is "pre-med gunner land" and overly competitive to the point it can't be enjoyable.

However, these are just people's opinions I have read online- I'm not sure if these are true and I wanted all of your opinions on these schools, as well as which one you would think better suit a pre-med student.

Thank you so much.

Sounds like you prefer Washington. I strongly disagree with the bolded statement. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better college town than Madison.

 

[WingedOx]

Sounds like you prefer Washington. I strongly disagree with the bolded statement, though. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better college town than Madison.

If price were no consideration, I'd much rather be an undergrad in Madison and an adult in Seattle.

Though to be painfully honest, I don't think either school is worth the price of OOS tuition unless you have some scholarship money coming. What state are you from?

 

[toothy97]

^why would you rather be an undergrad in wisconsin?

And I know. I got some scholarship money. The reason why I'm going out of state is that my in state school did not accept me, and I hoenstly have Ko where else to go except for pricey private schools.

 

[WingedOx]

Madison is just a better town for people 18-22. I love seattle (and every time I go there I seriously contemplate looking for jobs out there), but it's the type of city you need some money to enjoy.

 

[JPA178]

Go to Wisco and become a Wisconsin resident. Enjoy the Badger games, the beer/cheese curds/brats, and all the awesomeness that is Madtown. Then apply to/get into their med school as IS and don't look back.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Moving to Pre-allo, SSD forum is for medical school not undergrad discussion mostly.

 

[wildfan1]

.

 

[wildfan1]

Edit - whoops sorry for the double post!

I see you have threads (below) stating that you are going to UW Madison AND that you are going to UWashington next year - hasn't the deadline for making a decision already come and gone?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-is-wisconsin-madison-for-pre-med.1134198/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ngton-and-what-are-the-pros-and-cons.1133936/

Please see the first link for answers to your questions about UW-Madison (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-is-wisconsin-madison-for-pre-med.1134198/).

Also, I agree with:

Madison is just a better town for people 18-22. I love seattle (and every time I go there I seriously contemplate looking for jobs out there), but it's the type of city you need some money to enjoy.

and

Go to Wisco and become a Wisconsin resident. Enjoy the Badger games, the beer/cheese curds/brats, and all the awesomeness that is Madtown. Then apply to/get into their med school as IS and don't look back.

Best of luck!

Another edit - FYI looks like UW-Madison needed to know by May 1, or within 10 days of acceptance:
https://www.admissions.wisc.edu/admitted/checklist/fall_freshmen.php

 

[BABSstudent]

417 people applied to medical school from UW Seattle last year.

456 people applied to medical school from UWisc last year.

Obviously both seem to be popular for premeds and you will have plenty of resources available to you at both otherwise people wouldn't be going there.

Source: table 2-7 from AAMC.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321458/data/factstable2-7.pdf

 

[Chasing Never Land]

UWSOM is one of the best med schools in the world.... BUT they have a huge preference for WAMI state residents. If you can come here for undergrad and get residency, it's totally worth going to undergrad at UofWash

 

[toothy97]

I currently live in Texas so I am planning to go to med school here haha, so cheap! Also another one of m concerns is if I don't go to premed. If not, I would probably be interested in environmental studies or kinesiology- in that case, would washington be better?

 

[toothy97]

Go to Wisco and become a Wisconsin resident. Enjoy the Badger games, the beer/cheese curds/brats, and all the awesomeness that is Madtown. Then apply to/get into their med school as IS and don't look back.

Besides sports and parties, what makes wisconsin Madison so fun (especially when it's snowing so much?) I never really understood what people can do in such cold weather haha

 

[ndafife]

I currently live in Texas so I am planning to go to med school here haha, so cheap! Also another one of m concerns is if I don't go to premed. If not, I would probably be interested in environmental studies or kinesiology- in that case, would washington be better?

Environmental studies is a very broad subject. It really depends on what specific area you want to go into, but from the rankings I found online Wisconsin has the better environmental studies program. Same goes for Kinesiology. Arbitrary rankings, but thats how they come out.

 

[wildfan1]

Besides sports and parties, what makes wisconsin Madison so fun (especially when it's snowing so much?) I never really understood what people can do in such cold weather haha

UW-Madison is situated on an isthmus between two beautiful lakes, is one of the best biking cities in the country, and has countless great restaurants and bars all within walking distance of campus (lots on state street and elsewhere). In the winter, people continue to have fun and stay active - this includes ice fishing, pond hockey, sledding, cross country skiing, and even ice yachting (sailing on the ice). The summer is even more fun and beautiful, and since there are dorms and campus buildings (and the Memorial Union Terrace) all situated along Lake Mendota, students can take full advantage of the lakeshore. Also, UW Hoofers club has on of the largest sailboat fleets in the country which are available to student members of Hoofers. It is a great place to live in any season.

 

[Amba]

Besides sports and parties, what makes wisconsin Madison so fun (especially when it's snowing so much?) I never really understood what people can do in such cold weather haha

Arboretum with running/biking paths:

Lakeshore residence halls:

View of the isthmus, with Monona Terrace at the bottom and Capitol in the middle:

Football gamedays:

Union Terrace:

P.s., if you do go to Madison - no one has ever called it "Wisconsin Madison". It's either Madison or UW. Just fyi.

 

[wildfan1]

I wish I could like the above ^^^ more than once!

 

[toothy97]

Haha I know it's beautiful in the summer, but I'm in school for basically the winter months

 

[ndafife]

Haha I know it's beautiful in the summer, but I'm in school for basically the winter months

1. Sports don't end - Hockey and Basketball games are fun.

2. Cross country skiing is very fun - there are a lot of trails in the arboretum.

3. There are lots of places to snowtube, skate, sled, etc... in Madison

4. As crazy as it sounds, its not winter indoors. There are plenty of things to do inside that don't involve just drinking

 

[Amba]

1. Sports don't end - Hockey and Basketball games are fun.

2. Cross country skiing is very fun - there are a lot of trails in the arboretum.

3. There are lots of places to snowtube, skate, sled, etc... in Madison

4. As crazy as it sounds, its not winter indoors. There are plenty of things to do inside that don't involve just drinking

And I'll add in that you generally won't even be in Madison for a solid month of winter - most people leave for home after finals in mid-December and come back in mid-January. And for you that's going to Texas.

Oh and there is this annual winter tradition:

 

[toothy97]

1. Sports don't end - Hockey and Basketball games are fun.

2. Cross country skiing is very fun - there are a lot of trails in the arboretum.

3. There are lots of places to snowtube, skate, sled, etc... in Madison

4. As crazy as it sounds, its not winter indoors. There are plenty of things to do inside that don't involve just drinking

What is there to do indoors? Like I guess go to rec centers, eat, hang out with friends, etc?

 

[Alejandro]

If you've never lived on the west coast, give it a shot. There's always going to be time to go to the midwest.

 

[ndafife]

What is there to do indoors? Like I guess go to rec centers, eat, hang out with friends, etc?

I've enjoyed Brewery Tours in the past.

There are a couple decent museums. There are concerts and plays. If you want to see a big show Milwaukee is an hour away, and Chicago is about 3 (aka close enough for a day trip if you want).

Underrated restaurant scene. This is a pretty good summary of it: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/09/13/top-10-reasons-why-madison-is-foodie-paradise/

And then the Unions/rec centers which are like every other schools pretty much. Union South has bowling, a movie theater, climbing wall. There are rec sports to do.

But really don't overthink it too much. You generally go home for a month of the winter (as others mentioned) and when you are in town you are too busy with class, clubs, research, and volunteering to pay much notice to how cold it can get.

 

[toothy97]

Lol that sounds awesome! Also, heard that Madison's rec centers are really bad :C Is it the fact that it doesn't have much equipment, or more so the fact that the equipment is outdated? Reason why I'm asking is I'm a powerlifter (lol weird fact about me), and I kind of need space for squat racks and deadlift stations and stuff

 

[Amba]

Lol that sounds awesome! Also, heard that Madison's rec centers are really bad :C Is it the fact that it doesn't have much equipment, or more so the fact that the equipment is outdated? Reason why I'm asking is I'm a powerlifter (lol weird fact about me), and I kind of need space for squat racks and deadlift stations and stuff

Well, whoever told you that is completely wrong. My only complaint about the gyms was that they get ridiculously busy during some parts of the day. But they have all the equipment you could ever ask for.

 

[toothy97]

Hmm okay. I got that from online, people are saying they only have 15,000 square feet of fitness space (Compared to like 50,000+ at ohio), and they are ranked last for fitness facilities out of all 10 midwest schools

 

[WingedOx]

Wisconsin is cold in the winter, I'll give you that.

But winter in Seattle is like having a drop of ice water constantly falling on your head every 3 seconds. The PNW is literally in a rainforest...